ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – It was during spring break, almost six months after Paige Bozosi got married to the love of her life, that she first noticed a lump in her left breast.
After getting checked, Bozosi, 23, later got the devastating news that she had invasive ductal carcinoma, an invasive form of breast cancer.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, about 9% of all new breast cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed in women younger than 45 years old.
“My grandma was 24 and my aunt was 32 and then my mother got tested for the braca gene, and she was negative. So we kind of didn’t think that I would have to worry about anything, because she wasn’t able to pass that on to me,” Bozosi said. “Thankfully, everything moved super, super, super fast. And so my diagnosis date was April 1, and my surgery is April 25.
The second-grade teacher decided to do a double mastectomy.
“I want to do whatever I can for this not to come back like, I don’t want to have to go through this again when I’ve got children, or when I’m older and my body’s not as capable of recovering,” she said.
While she’s doing well in her recovery, Bozosi and her husband, David, who has supported her, also had to think about fertility and preserving the options of having a family in the future.
She’s also had the support of her community. An online fundraiser has received more than $19,000 from 300 donors. Bozosi said that support has meant the world to her.
“I mean, all of the prayers, all of the people, the prayer warriors that have spoken words over me and have just been walking with us every single step of the way, and just like I said, I felt at peace like from the beginning. And I think that, and I know that that peace is coming from within and is coming from above, and I know that no matter what happens, it’s all a part of his plan,” she said.
Even though she has a tough battle ahead, with chemotherapy coming in June, Bozosi remains a ray of sunshine, with an infectious smile and positive attitude.
And she has advice for all women out there.
“I would definitely just say, stick up for yourself and just find the people that are willing to walk through the journey with you and just really rally around have people rally around you and just know that you’re not alone,” she said.
